Group Of 5 Monuments,About 7M From South Side Of West End In Churchyard Of Church Of St Mary The Virgin

A group of five monuments is located about 7 meters from the south side of the west end in the churchyard of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. These monuments date from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century and consist of four unidentified chest tombs and one altar tomb.

From north to south, the first monument is a late 17th-century chest tomb made of limestone, featuring a flat top, moulded plinth, and capping. The ends and sides are divided into two sections with rectangular fielded panels surrounded by low relief. The inscriptions are no longer readable, and it was partially overgrown at the time of the survey in November 1984, with the south side broken up and half removed.

The second monument is an altar tomb, likely from the early 19th century, with the earliest decipherable inscription on the west side dedicated to William Cope, who died in 1852. It has a flat square top with a large double saddlestone cap and a plain base, along with plain inscription panels on all sides.

The third monument is an early 18th-century chest tomb, also made of limestone. It features a flat top, moulded plinth, and heavy moulded capping, with panelled pilaster corner piers and diamond end panels. The sides have large oval panels surrounded by carved foliage, but the inscriptions are obliterated and it is partially overgrown.

The fourth monument is a mid-18th-century chest tomb, again in limestone, with a flat top, moulded plinth and capping, and indented corners. The ends have a carved cornice and a central square fielded panel, along with a cartouche on the east side. The sides feature central fielded inscription panels flanked by side panels with low relief acanthus design, and it is also partially overgrown.

The fifth monument is another mid-18th-century chest tomb made of limestone, featuring a flat top, moulded plinth and capping, with gadrooned quarter balusters. There is a cartouche on both the west and east ends, with a cherub head above. The sides have double moulded large rectangular panels with eared corners. This tomb is partially overgrown, and a piece of capping is missing on the south side.